TITLE: DON’T CUT CORNERS
SCRIPTURE: I SAMUEL 24:1-12
This is an interesting and exciting text this morning that visits a portion of the life of David that shows an important truth we can learn that will help us to maintain our integrity that will ultimately lead to a blessed and productive life. This text is filled with many twists and turns and oftentimes difficult to keep up. It is critical that we have a basic foundation to understand what has taken place in the life of David up to this point.
Let’s make sure we understand what is taking place here in this text -- KING SAUL was hunting David to kill him, because of JEALOUSY, and after chasing him all around the country, he finally moves in on him and has David cornered. Just when you think David is Toast, God steps in and intervenes. All of a sudden in the midst of the text the Bible says -- just then a messenger arrives and gives King Saul the word the PHILISTINES ARE RAIDING JUDAH, so he broke off with his men and went to defend his country.
As soon as he returned from chasing off the Philistines, King Saul renews his pursuit of David. Now, these Philistines were a constant problem, and after experiencing so many battles with them you would think Saul might have seen how necessary it was to make things right with David and restore him to his place in the army again to hold off the Philistines and other nations. Instead King Saul takes 3,000 of his best men and heads off after David again.
• 3,000 of his best men to chase and pursue David
• His best Navy Seals
• His best Para-Troopers
• His best Special Forces
• To pursue one man -- David
King Saul has heard that David and his men were hiding out in the CAVES OF THE WILD GOATS.
• This doesn't seem to be a very good place for David to be staying
• You would have to wonder why Saul would be so anxious to disturb him
• I mean really, what harm to the kingdom could a man be who lives cooped up in a smelly goat cave?
• But as long as he was alive, Saul considered him as threat
That is what Jealousy will do. Jealousy is one of those demons that just seems to take everything over when it is felt – even when you know on the inside that your jealousy doesn’t make sense. Somehow, it often still rips through and takes you hostage. King Saul grew jealous over what God had imparted into David who would become the next king. We must be careful my brothers and sisters not to become jealous as to what God is doing for those around us instead of appreciating the gifting in them.
• Oftentimes when we have a dislike for someone for no apparent reason – Jealousy
• Oftentimes when the sight of someone disturbs us – Jealousy
• Oftentimes when we never have anything good to say about someone – Jealousy
• Most of the time Jealousy doesn’t make sense
We find David on the run again, David and his men—some 600 strong—come to a place called EN GEDI, an oasis on the western shore of the Dead Sea.
• There the barren mountains rise almost straight up from the shore
• The mountains are limestone, laced with steep ravines, honeycombed with caverns
• It was made to order for a man running from the law
• If you ever take a trip to the Holy Land, your tour bus will pass by En Gedi on the way to Masada
• When you are there, look over to the right and you will probably see wild goats on the mountainside
One more detail. David and his men have found a cave large enough for all 600 of them. They are hiding in the angles and passageways back from the entrance. With that we must run back to the details of the text.
• After Saul returned from pursuing the Philistines, he was told, ‘David is in the Desert of En Gedi.’
• So Saul took three thousand chosen men from all Israel and set out to look for David and his men near the Crags of the Wild Goats
Here the text takes another interesting turn. Saul hears the call of nature and steps inside the nearest cave. Little does he know the man he seeks is only a few yards away, hidden by the rocks and by the darkness. Just in case you missed it in the text -- Saul went in to relieve himself. See it there in VS. 3 “…AND SAUL WENT IN TO COVER HIS FEET….” That is Biblical Antiquity for letting us know, Saul had to pause and “take care of personal business.” And David and his men were far back in the same cave.
Now wait a minute. NOW IT JUST SO HAPPENS THAT SAUL WINDS UP ALONE IN THE SAME CAVE WHERE DAVID AND HIS MEN WERE HIDING OUT. Quite a coincidence. Actually only a few of Saul’s closest friends were probably in this particular cave with the rest staying in similar caves close by.
• Saul entered the cave, not in search of David, but rather to relieve himself
• There were no Porta-Pottys or Latrines in those days
• Now, this visit to the cave was probably more than just a place for a nature call
• These caves were also a place people often entered in to rest, because they were cool and also quiet
• A good place to go during the heat of the day
While Saul attends to his business, 600 pairs of eyes watch from the darkness. A whisper spreads though the men. This is the moment David has been waiting for. Here’s a good test. ask your friends what you should do the next time your enemies are vulnerable. Unless your friends are very unusual, they will say, “Stick it to him. Get him while you have the chance.”
• That’s what David’s men do
• Only they cover their desire for revenge with a thick coat of religious varnish
• “THIS IS THE DAY THE LORD SPOKE OF WHEN HE SAID TO YOU, ‘I WILL GIVE YOUR ENEMY INTO YOUR HANDS FOR YOU TO DEAL WITH AS YOU WISH’” -- I SAMUEL 24:4
• They believe it is God’s will for David to kill Saul
• After all, Saul’s been trying to kill David
• Come on now – Fair is Fair
• “Do God a favor and get rid of him right now”
• Be careful of your friends that CO-SIGN your wrong and cloak it in Scripture to justify
• Be careful of those friends that twist the Scripture to meet their or your desires
• Be careful of those friends that help you twist the Scriptures in such a way to make it appear as though what you are doing is right
• Be careful – Don’t Cut Corners
David’s men all knew David would never be king as long as Saul was alive, and this was the perfect opportunity to see the promise come true. Saul was at their mercy and it was easy to see why He was in the area in the first place - to kill David - so why not take this opportunity and get rid of this vengeful man who stood in the way of everything promised to David. And because it was now within David's power to kill him, they concluded he had every right to do it. After all, it was God who brought him into their hands, wasn't it?
But David resists these pressures and refuses to take Saul's life. Instead, he sneaks up and cuts off a piece of the king's robe as evidence that he had the power, the opportunity, and the right to kill him, but chose not to.
• And he forbid his men to attack the king
• David simply cut off a corner of Saul's robe, which was an act of mercy compared to what his men urged him to do
• And yet the Scripture says he was conscience-stricken
• The Scripture said after doing so, David felt bad about it
So what’s the big deal right! David did something that must have seemed humorous at the time. While Saul was preoccupied, David crept up and cut off the corner of his robe.
• Just a practical joke, really
• No harm done
• When Saul puts his robe back on, he’s going to notice, no doubt
The Hem of a Jew’s garment was not, as in modern clothes, a simple fold of the cloth, sewn down to prevent the edge from fraying.
• It was a decorative feature that made a statement about the status and importance of the wearer
• The people of other nearby nations also had this custom
• In texts found in Mesopotamia, references indicate that the removal of the fringe of a man’s garment was the equivalent of removing part of his personality – considered to be the ultimate insult
• To cut off the hem of a wife’s garment was regarded as divorcing her
• The hem of the garment contained the personal seal or signature of the wealthy
• Women with the Issue of Blood for 12 years – Reach out and touched the Hem of Jesus Garment
• And David Cut the Corner of the Hem of the Garment
Now the text takes another interesting turn -- David wished he hadn't even cut the robe. Here is where so many otherwise good people fail and fall - in the matter of conscience.
• Inside David there was that still small voice telling him what was right
• Outside was the voice of his well-intentioned friends telling him what they thought of the whole situation, which was a perfectly natural way to see it
• And, of course, David's own human "voice of reason" was leading him to at least give a sign of his power - which he did
• But as soon as he did he knew it was wrong
• And this is a sign of a tender heart - to know that when that voice inside tells us that we've wronged someone - even though it may seem right to everyone around - then it's wrong
• And we've got to make it right and prevent even greater sins
Through that voice of conscience, he realized this man who stood before him was not his enemy. He was not the one who stood in the way of his becoming King.
• He realized this was the Lord's anointed!
• This was the man God chose to fulfill a certain purpose
• He was the one God "set apart" for this position of King
• This was the one Anointed - and Appointed to reign as long as he lived
• This was the one who was under the protection of the God's own law
• And as his master, which David calls him, he was obliged to be faithful to the law of God
• Even when he felt that person was unworthy of such honor
David's realization he was not to touch or bring any type of harm to God's anointed was a truth he learned well. Just a short time later he would have another experience with Saul, who again would try to kill him, and again David would make it a matter of conscience. This is a truth that we too must learn and ensure we don’t –
• Put our Mouth on One Another
• Be negative against God’s program
• Take care how we handle one another even when we don’t agree
• We must be careful and – Don’t Cut Corners
It is important if we're to be faithful to God's Word to understand this principle.
• It's important if we're to have the unity and the blessing of God upon our churches
• It's important for us individually if we're to be found right in the eyes of God
• It’s important if we are not move to the next level of ministry
God places people in various positions according to His great wisdom and for His own purposes. He calls and He anoints His servants for work in His Kingdom –
• Knowing full well the end from the beginning
• Knowing full well exactly how faithful and true they will be
• Knowing their faults and failures as well as their strengths and abilities
• Most importantly - He knows their hearts!
The problem that has plagued us for thousands of years is we fail to recognize that God is in charge - He's in control.
• And He uses both good and bad to accomplish His divine purposes
• But we often get in the way
• So often we figure out what we think is best or proper, and in the process we oppose God's anointed vessels
• Many times destroying them completely
• There are many who are God's anointed that are harmed and even destroyed by those who feel quite justified in their actions
• And most often it comes down to a simple matter of respect
We have no control over how people treat us, what they say and what they do. But we do have complete control over how we respond.
• We will never stop people from attacking us
• We will never stop people from breaking their word
• We will never stop people from trying to replace us
• That’s a fact of life whether you are a Teacher – Nurse – Truck Driver - or Pastor
How should we respond when we have been hurt? Well – Don’t Cut Corners. David did not seek revenge because he respected Saul’s authority over him. In VS. 8 David called him, “MY LORD THE KING.” He recognized that Saul was still the king no matter what he did or how he did it. It was not an issue of whether or not Saul treated him right. As long as Saul was the king, he deserved respect by virtue of his position. In particular, that meant that David was not free to get even or to take revenge in any form even though Saul mistreated him.
Please don’t miss this. David had every reason to get even with Saul. The man was a killer, a psycho on the throne, a malevolent madman whose fits of rage and paranoia drove him over the edge.
• David would be doing the world a favor and no one would ever blame him
• But still he didn’t do it
• And we have to ask Why?
• Because he recognized Saul’s authority over him
Sometimes we feel just as justified to get back at those that have wronged us. We feel we have the right to lash out because someone treated us wrong. We must be careful this morning and Don’t Cut Corners. We like to quote the Scripture, however; I am not convinced we actually believe it. You know what I am going to quote -- ROMANS 12:19 “DEARLY BELOVED, AVENGE NOT YOURSELVES, BUT RATHER GIVE PLACE UNTO WRATH: FOR IT IS WRITTEN, VENGENCE IS MINE; I WILL REPAY, SAITH THE LORD.”
David did not seek revenge because he was willing to wait for god to vindicate him. There are two interesting facts here: The FIRST is David was not shy about pointing out the truth. He plainly says Saul has wronged him. Sometimes in our hurry to reconcile we overlook the fact wrong has been done. it’s rarely true that “we’re both right and we’re both wrong. That implies a kind of neutrality that cancels the need to make moral judgments. Such a position is useful only for those who live in a fantasy world.
• Saul was Wrong
• David knew Saul was wrong, and he plainly says so
But David understood a SECOND FACT that many of us never grasp. When it comes to revenge, God is much better at it than we are. That’s because He looks down from heaven and sees all sides of every issue. He knows who is right and He knows who is wrong.
• So often our perspective is clouded and our judgment faulty
• We see our side and only our side
• But God knows
• And he will not forget to avenge the wrongs done to his children
David understood that God was ready – willing - and able to take care of him. And whenever God got ready, Saul would be out of the way and David would ascend to the throne.
• If God wants Saul removed, there are 10,000 ways he can do it
• God didn’t need David’s help
• Even when David was clearly the better man, even when Saul had gone CRAY-CRAY
• Even when God had rejected Saul - He still didn’t need David‘s help
• God does not need our help when we have been abused
• God does not need our help when we have been talked about
• Don’t Cut Corners
How many sins are committed because we are in a hurry, because under pressure we give in to our passions, because in the crunch we cut corners we would never cut otherwise.
• How many stupid decisions we make because we aren’t willing to wait for God
• I take great personal comfort in this—God is not so unjust as to forget his children
• And when we suffer for doing what is right - God sees and He remembers
• That’s a promise you can take to the bank
• As long as we Don’t Cut Corners
Final point -- David did not seek revenge because he did not want to descend to Saul’s level. David is saying, “if I attack him, I am only sinking down to his level.” There are times when you need to walk away from an argument because if you open your mouth, you’ll soon be wrestling in the mud.
• Hold Your Integrity
• Don’t stoop down
• When they go Low – You ought to go High
The saddest part about trying to get even is it makes you a perpetual victim of the person you dislike.
• Revenge makes you go through the hurt over and over again
• You never really get over it
• Ultimately, it drags you down to the sewer where your enemies dwell
• And the moral filth that covers them soon covers you as well
• And while you are staying up late at night stewing in your juices, they are out at WINDSTAR having a good time
• When you give in to the temptation to get even, your enemies have won twice: When they hurt you the first time and now when you can’t get it out of your mind
• Stopped by to tell you Don’t Cut Corners
--In Closing this Morning, I’m Glad that Jesus taught us the same lesson
--On a Thursday he was carried from Judgment Hall to Judgment Hall
--Early Friday morning He was found guilty because the leaders lied on Him
--Jesus could have got back at them but He said Don’t Cut Corners
--They marched Him Calvary – He could have got them back but said Don’t Cut Corners
--But instead He said FATHER FORGIVE THEM FOR THEY KNOW NOT WHAT THEY DO
--Jesus looked at the Roman Guards and said If you think I will fight you NAIL MY HANDS TO THE CROSS
--Jesus said if you THINK I WILL RUN – NAIL ME FEET TO THE CROSS
--Jesus said if you THINK I WILL OUT-THINK YOU PLACE A CROWN OF THRONES ON MY HEAD
--BUT WHATEVER YOU DO – JUST DON’T LIFT ME UP
--FOR I, IF I BE LIFTED UP FROM THE EARTH I WILL DRAW ALL MEN UNTO ME
--It was on Calvary He hung His head and Died
--They laid Him in a Borrowed Tomb
--Early, I don’t know exactly what time it was
--Early, before the Alarm Clock woke you up
--Early, while the rest of us were still sleeping
--Early, on Sunday morning – when it was still Dark
--He got up with all Power in the Palm of His Hand
--He rose with Victory
--We too have the Victory – just Don’t Cut Corners
